Failure Analysis of Unreliable Rotary Blowers Leads to

Change of Design to Centrifugal Type

By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter, Machinery Consultant

Fig-1: Centrifugal Multistage Blowers Horizontal Split Casing; for MBBR Plant or Aeration

User Complaint:

We have positive displacement air blowers of 3-Lobe type twin rotor that have
persistent abnormal sound and high vibration. Vibration spectrum shows multiple of
3xRPM. Our observation was that when the blower is developing discharge pressure
(operating pressure at 50kPag) the intense sound is present. Blower rated pressure is
70 kPag; 0.70 Bar gauge. We tried to disconnect the expansion metal bellows at
discharge, and the abnormal sound and vibration diminished, no more intense sound.
And vibration spectrum changed to 1xRPM as dominant frequency (motor speed).
Multiples of 3X were gone.
Also note that the blower & motor assembly is belt driven with self-tensioning and
both have a common base with vibration isolators underneath. As a brief background,
this equipment was newly purchased as part of a project. The Blower already failed
prematurely after 9.0 months of operation (operated with high vibration and
abnormal sound). It was opened and found with rubbing marks between male and
female rotors, and damaged bearings upon opening.
Now, it is newly overhauled with new rotors by OEM and installed again but we are
already experiencing this vibration concern same level as first installed. Have you
experienced this before and what was the solution to reduce vibration and sound
level? I worry that after 10 months we will end up damaging the rotor and bearings.
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 Failure Analysis of Unreliable Rotary Blowers Leads to
Change of Design to Centrifugal Type
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter, Machinery Consultant

Fig-2: Rotary Lobe Blower Belt Driven for MBBR Plant or Aeration Duties

Consultant:

Based on extensive experience with MBBR and Wastewater air blowers from many
manufacturers: The Rotary Lobe blowers have a history of very low reliability in
applications of continuous operation duty and half-bar pressure differential and
higher. They fail from many reasons which are primarily inherent design weaknesses
and are rarely able to reach an MTBO of 1.0 year and MTBF of six months. This applies
to practically all manufacturers unless purchasing very low rotational speed models
such as 900 RPM of large size with heavy duty bearings.
It’s clear you had piping related misalignment plus resonances in the skid structure.
Blower bearing failures are frequent because the blower compression process
produces rotary alternating fatigue forces at each revolution on the bearings. Also,
due to design limitations, dust particles leak past the inadequate shaft seals and enter
the rolling element bearings, greatly reducing lifetime. Filtering at suction does not
solve the long term reliability problems
Solution: If total airflow requirement for Aeration is at least 1400 SFM, at 0.70 bar
then you can request manufacturers of centrifugal blowers to provide a multistage
centrifugal blower [DMW Corporation Japan, Howden UK] or High Speed Direct Drive

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 Failure Analysis of Unreliable Rotary Blowers Leads to
Change of Design to Centrifugal Type
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter, Machinery Consultant

Fig-3: Integrally Geared Single Stage Centrifugal; Continental Blower Company

VFD Motor Driven blower [Howden, FIMA]. Third choice is Integrally geared single
stage blowers. It is recommended to reduce the number of blowers to only 2 x 100%
or 3 x 50% capacity to size the blowers at larger air capacity which is more efficient for
centrifugal units and reduces total skid & installed cost. Centrifugal high pressure
blowers are typically made at sizes not less than 1400 SCFM per machine. Notes:
1. Highest reliability was achieved with horizontal split casing multistage centrifugal
blowers as in Fig-1, and always specify direct drive by motor. Vertical split type
casings are unreliable for many design-manufacturing reasons. Belts prohibited.
2. Another design choice is direct drive single stage centrifugal blowers driven by high
speed motors above 2-pole motor speed, as produced by FIMA Germany with VFD
driven HS Motors.
3. A third choice is the high speed integrally gear driven centrifugal single stage
blowers in Fig-3. These have an increaser gearbox.
4. For high reliability of the blower’s it is important to specify Self-Cleaning suction air
filter units for all blowers, with 5 Micron filtration. Couplings should be flexible disk
spacer type with 10-inch spacer lengths minimum. Impellers should be of Stainless
Steel or Aluminum high strength Alloy.
5. Motors should be specified as TEFC with F-rated windings and 1.10 power rating
greater than blower rated condition shaft power.

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